Grading reference
Uganda Coffee Grades
- Grades
- 9
- Species
- Robusta · Arabica
- Authority
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Coffee Department), which took over the functions of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority in January 2025
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute
At a glance
The Uganda grade ladder
Where each designation sits on the screen scale — and which ones are not size separations at all.
Screen number · 4.8–7.5 mm
- Bugisu AAArabica
- Screen 18Robusta
- Screen 17Robusta
- Bugisu A / B / PBArabica
- Screen 15Robusta
- Screen 14 / 12Robusta
Not size separations
These designations are produced by density separation, defect classification or trade convention rather than by screening, so they do not sit on the scale above.
- FAQRobustaFair Average Quality — an unsized parcel sold against a defect and moisture specification rather than a screen. Composition varies by crop and cleaning line.
- WUGARArabicaTrade designation for Ugandan Arabica that has been fully washed. Further specified by screen and defect count.
- DRUGARArabicaTrade designation for naturally dried Ugandan Arabica, mainly from the Rwenzori, West Nile and Kigezi areas.
| Grade | What it encodes | Screen | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen 18 | Natural Robusta screened so that the parcel is retained above screen 18. The largest routinely traded Ugandan Robusta size. Specified where bean size matters to the roast curve or to a blend’s visual match. | Screen 18 (≈7.1 mm) | Robusta |
| Screen 17 | Sized Robusta retained on screen 17, between the 18 and 15 blocks. | Screen 17 (≈6.75 mm) | Robusta |
| Screen 15 | The volume workhorse of Ugandan Robusta. Balanced availability and price, widely used in commercial blends and soluble production. | Screen 15 (≈6.0 mm) | Robusta |
| Screen 14 / 12 | Smaller sized parcels, generally destined for soluble extraction or price-led blends. | Screen 12–14 | Robusta |
| FAQ | Fair Average Quality — an unsized parcel sold against a defect and moisture specification rather than a screen. Composition varies by crop and cleaning line. Always confirm the defect basis in the contract; FAQ is not a fixed standard. | — | Robusta |
| Bugisu AA | Washed Mount Elgon Arabica screened to the AA size block. Sold under the Bugisu regional designation. | Screen 18 and above | Arabica |
| Bugisu A / B / PB | The remaining size separations from the same washed Elgon preparation, including the peaberry run. | Screen 15–17 plus PB | Arabica |
| WUGAR | Trade designation for Ugandan Arabica that has been fully washed. Further specified by screen and defect count. | — | Arabica |
| DRUGAR | Trade designation for naturally dried Ugandan Arabica, mainly from the Rwenzori, West Nile and Kigezi areas. Cup character is driven by cherry drying discipline, so lot-level separation matters. | — | Arabica |
The distinction that matters
What the grade does not tell you
This is where most green coffee is mis-bought. A grade is a preparation class. Everything below is a separate contract field, and every one of them moves independently of the grade name.
What it does fix
Uganda grading encodes
- Bean size, as the screen the Robusta parcel is retained on
- Preparation method, through the WUGAR and DRUGAR designations
- For Bugisu, the size separation within a washed Elgon preparation
- For FAQ, that the parcel is unsized and sold on a stated defect basis
Use the grade to define the physical deliverable. Use the approved sample to define the cup. Both belong in the contract.
What it does not
Specify these separately
- Cup qualityTwo lots at the same grade from the same mill can cup several points apart. Only cupping tells you.
- Defect countA separate count on a defined sample, against a weighting table that differs by origin.
- MoistureA range plus the measurement method. Two meters on one parcel routinely disagree.
- Crop yearNothing in a grade name distinguishes current crop from a parcel that has been in store a year.
- DensityBulk density in g/L, which drives charge temperature and roast planning.
- Water activityStorage stability. Related to moisture but not derivable from it.
- TraceabilityCountry, station or day lot are different claims. A grade fixes none of them.
- Processing methodWashed, natural and honey can all carry the same grade at most origins.
Quick answer
Ugandan Robusta is graded by screen — Screen 18, 17, 15, 14 and 12, plus unsized FAQ parcels sold on a defect basis. Ugandan Arabica uses two processing designations, WUGAR (washed) and DRUGAR (natural), and the regional Bugisu grades AA, A, B and PB for washed Mount Elgon coffee.
Robusta: sized by screen
Ugandan Robusta is dry-processed and cleaned at the mill, then sized over screens. The screen number is the whole grade — there is no letter ladder — and it maps directly onto the perforation diameter used in the separation.
| Grade | Screen | Approx. diameter | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen 18 | 18/64" | 7.14 mm | Largest routinely traded size; specified where bean size matters to the roast or to a visual blend match |
| Screen 17 | 17/64" | 6.75 mm | Intermediate sized parcels |
| Screen 15 | 15/64" | 5.95 mm | The volume workhorse — commercial blends and soluble production |
| Screen 14 | 14/64" | 5.56 mm | Price-led blending and extraction |
| Screen 12 | 12/64" | 4.76 mm | Smallest commercial size; mostly soluble |
| FAQ | Unsized | — | Fair Average Quality — sold against defect and moisture terms rather than a screen |
FAQ is not a fixed standard
Fair Average Quality describes a parcel sold without a screen specification, against agreed defect and moisture terms. What it contains varies by crop, by mill and by cleaning line. If you buy FAQ, write the defect basis, the moisture ceiling and the foreign-matter limit into the contract — the name itself guarantees none of them.
Arabica: processing designation first
Ugandan Arabica carries two trade designations that describe processing rather than size, and they are the first thing on any offer.
- WUGAR
- Washed Ugandan Arabica. Fully washed, then specified by screen and defect count. Predominantly from Mount Elgon, with growing volumes from Kigezi and the Rwenzori.
- DRUGAR
- Dried Ugandan Arabica. Naturally dried, mainly from the Rwenzori, West Nile and Kigezi areas. Cup character depends heavily on drying discipline, so lot separation matters more than usual.
Washed Mount Elgon coffee is additionally sold under the Bugisu regional designation, with a size ladder that will look familiar to anyone who buys Kenyan or Tanzanian coffee: Bugisu AA, A, B and PB. Bugisu is a regional origin claim as well as a grade family, so it should be read alongside the Bugisu origin page.
Why Uganda supplies for most of the year
Uganda runs two Robusta cycles — a main crop harvested roughly November to February and a fly crop around April to July — plus an Arabica harvest on Elgon from October and an earlier one in West Nile from August. The practical consequence for a buyer is that Ugandan Robusta is rarely out of the market, which is part of why it anchors so many commercial blends.
The Uganda crop calendar sets out each cycle separately, including the regional variation that a single national figure would hide.
Contracting Ugandan coffee
- State the screen and the permitted percentage passing — not just "screen 18".
- State the moisture ceiling and the measurement method; Robusta commonly contracts around 12–13%.
- State the black and broken bean tolerance separately from total defects.
- For Arabica, state WUGAR or DRUGAR explicitly before discussing screen.
- Confirm the port routing: Uganda is landlocked and moves via Mombasa or Dar es Salaam, which changes transit time and documentation.
Ugandan Robusta and Arabica enquiries
Tell us the screen, defect basis, volume and shipment window. We will confirm what the crop supports and quote against your specification.
Request Current Crop OfferContract language
Writing a Uganda specification
The grade names the physical deliverable. These are the fields that have to sit beside it for the contract to be enforceable.
| Field | What to state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Origin and region | Uganda, plus the growing area — Mount Elgon (Bugisu), Rwenzori, West Nile (Okoro) | Region drives altitude, harvest timing and cup character more than the grade does |
| Grade | The Uganda designation — Screen 18, Screen 17, Screen 15, Screen 14 / 12 | Fixes the preparation class and the size separation |
| Screen | Retention screen plus the permitted percentage passing | A screen without a tolerance is not a specification — no sizing line is perfect |
| Defects | Maximum full defects per 300 g, and the weighting table | Weighting tables differ by origin, so the number alone is not portable |
| Moisture | Range plus the measurement method and instrument | Two meters on the same parcel routinely disagree |
| Crop year | Explicit, with the harvest period | "Current crop" means different things in different months |
| Cup | Approved sample retained by both parties | The only thing that fixes flavour; the grade does not |
| Packaging | 60 kg jute; Robusta also moves in bulk-lined containers | Changes the price and the container arithmetic |
| Port and Incoterm | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) or Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · FOB, CFR or CIF | Determines where cost and risk transfer |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does Screen 18 mean for Ugandan Robusta?
What is the difference between DRUGAR and WUGAR?
Is Bugisu a grade or a region?
Which port does Ugandan coffee ship from?
Keep reading
Related to Uganda Coffee Grades
- Coffee Grades ExplainedWhat a green coffee grade encodes and leaves out, with the grading systems of six East African origins side by side.
- Coffee Screen SizesCoffee screen size chart with mm conversion, how sizing tolerances work, what screens 15–18 mean in East African grades, and how bean size affects roasting.
- Screen 18 — size, grades and contract termsCoffee screen size chart with mm conversion, how sizing tolerances work, what screens 15–18 mean in East African grades, and how bean size affects roasting.
- Natural coffee — process, risk and specificationWashed, natural and honey processing explained — what each does to the cup, where the risk sits and how to specify it.
- Uganda Green CoffeeUgandan green coffee — screen-graded Robusta from the Lake Victoria basin and washed and natural Arabica from Mount Elgon, Rwenzori and West Nile.
- Uganda RobustaUgandan Robusta: the Lake Victoria basin, two harvest cycles, screen grades 12 to 18 and FAQ, and how to contract a Robusta programme.
- Uganda Robusta Screen 18Ugandan Robusta screen 18: what the size class delivers, what it costs in outturn, when it is worth specifying, and how to write the contract.
- Uganda Robusta Screen 15Ugandan Robusta screen 15: the most widely traded East African Robusta specification, why it balances availability and price, and how to contract a programme.
Request an offer
Tell us the Uganda coffee you need
Grade, screen, defect basis, moisture, crop year, volume and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what the current crop supports.